撲 — “Slap / Strike / Hit / Beat” in Japanese

Master (高手)ぼく

Radical ⼿ · radical 64 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Slap / Strike / Hit / Beat” in Japanese is 撲, read boku (ぼく). It is a Jōyō kanji taught in Japanese secondary school (junior & senior high) — the 高手 · Master tier beyond the grade 1–6 Kyōiku set, and appears in words such as 相撲 (sumo).

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What does 撲 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	撲
Meaning	Slap / Strike / Hit / Beat
Readings	ぼく
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	相撲 (sumo)

How to read 撲

撲 is read boku (ぼく) depending on the word.

Words with 撲

相撲

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Kanji read the same way as 撲

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

Updated: 2026-08-28